What are bed bug chalks? How do they act on insects? How to work with them correctly? Precautionary measures. The assortment on the domestic market includes Mashenka, Tornado and others. Which chalk should you choose? If bedbugs appear in your home, you need to act immediately. Instantly spreading throughout the apartment, insects interfere with sleep, feed on blood, become a source of disease, and emit a characteristic odor. There are many products on sale that kill unfortunate parasites, among which are crayons.
Types of crayons against bedbugs
Chalk against bed bugs and other harmful insects in the house became popular in the Soviet Union. In appearance it resembles a piece of ordinary school chalk. Despite the fact that bed bug chalks have been used for a very long time, reviews of the insecticide are still good these days. There are wax and chalky poisonous crayons to combat bloodsuckers. In the first case, in addition to the chemical substance, the product contains paraffin and wax, and in the second, chalk or gypsum is added. These are binding elements due to which toxic components are retained on surfaces.
Don't decent people get bedbugs?
Bed bugs hiding in the sofa
The faster the war against bedbugs begins, the faster they are defeated. Many people are convinced that these insects cannot live in a clean city apartment, which is cleaned at least twice a week. In fact, there are a thousand ways to introduce bedbugs into a sparkling clean house! How to get rid of bedbugs that are infested in the sofa
Are there large numbers of very disadvantaged citizens (alcoholics, drug addicts, gypsies) living in your neighborhood? The last time the entrance was thoroughly cleaned and renovated was about ten years ago? Is the garbage taken out almost once a month? Do you like to buy antiques and put them in order? Do you often visit second-hand bookstores? Do you own a long-haired pet? Do you constantly go on business trips and spend the night in cheap hotels? Did you buy a sofa from resellers and find biting parasites in it? Mashenka's chalk will save you from all such cases! The price of chalk, on average, is only 15 rubles in stores in Russian cities.
Bed bugs are blood-sucking guerrillas
Bugs in an old sofa
Bed bugs (Bed bug or house bug - you need to know the enemy by sight), as well as mosquitoes, feed on the fresh blood of people and warm-blooded animals. But if mosquitoes announce their appearance with an annoying squeak, then bedbugs hunt silently. During the day they sleep in secluded places, and at night they attack their victims. Knowing the habits of bedbugs will help you choose the right strategy for their destruction.
Bedbug shelters can include:
Cracks and crevices in wooden furniture
Raised edges of wallpaper
Plastic and wooden skirting boards
In the spines of old books
Bed linen, down pillows and blankets, woolen blankets
Closed housings of electronic devices (especially in system units, microwave ovens, hoods, air conditioners)
The Mashenka pencil against bedbugs is quite effective, since insects prefer to accumulate in groups in dark places, where they lay larvae and leave noticeable dark spots with their excrement. The mechanism of action of the pencil takes into account the lifespan of bedbugs and the mechanism of their rapid infection.
Bed bugs can survive for about a year even in conditions with minimal food. Under unfavorable conditions they can:
- fall into suspended animation, which increases the overall lifespan of the individual
- begin to migrate through ventilation ducts, as well as the walls of the house
- mutate under the influence of aggressive chemical poisons aimed at instantly killing adults (larvae instantly adapt to most types of aerosols and liquids for bedbugs).
bedbugs prefer untreated wood
Bed bug chalk has a radically different mechanism of action on these insects. The product acts in such a way that the infected individual is instantly paralyzed. And toxic substances can quickly slow down all life processes in the larvae and destroy them before the formation of mutation.
Composition of chalk
The pyrethroid group of pesticides makes up the main content of chalks against bed bugs. These are toxic substances for bloodsuckers and more or less harmless to humans. These include cypermethrin, fipronil, deltamethrin, which have a contact effect on insects. Cyprometrin is enhanced by the influence of other components and in tandem they effectively fight bedbugs. Cypermethrin has a destructive effect on the nervous system of the bug - disruptions occur in the parasite's nerve impulses, which leads to paralysis of the insect and its death. The larvae also do not survive under the influence of the chemical.
How effective is the “Mashenka” chalk?
The development of insect chalks began during the Soviet Union. The products were extremely popular because they made it possible to quickly get rid of pests on our own. The chalk is easy to use, it does not leave a strong odor and has a detrimental effect on insects.
Why are modern people skeptical about such a simple and useful remedy? Technological progress and rapid computerization have led to the formation of the idea: “Everything that is new is good.” As a result, old, proven means are no longer used, although they are very effective and inexpensive. If you are thinking about whether to buy Mashenka chalk, people’s reviews will help you realize the simple truth: “Proven products give the expected results.”
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages of crayons against bedbugs:
- low cost along with a visible effect,
- no pungent odor,
- ease of use,
- long-term effect on bedbugs,
- harmless to people and pets.
Flaws:
- suitable for treatment in case of minor infestation of the premises with bedbugs,
- prolonged onset of a positive result,
- the ability of insects to adapt to the action of an insecticide.
If bloodsuckers have largely attacked your home, then crayons are powerless here. You will have to resort to more powerful means of disinsection of the premises.
How to use the product correctly?
Crayons against bedbugs are used in different ways. It all depends on how infested the house is with parasites. If there are a lot of nests, then the best way would be to use chalk in a complex manner using all the methods listed below at the same time.
Grated chalk is dissolved in water, placed in a spray bottle or flower sprayer, and the habitats of bloodsuckers are generously treated. It is better not to water fabric surfaces and wallpaper with the solution, so as not to leave stains, and all other objects from which liquids can be easily washed off should be thoroughly sprayed. Carpet products are also sprayed with a solution, and then washed with powder and dried in the sun. You can prepare a viscous mixture of grated chalk and water, and use it to fill the cracks in floors, walls, and baseboards.
Rubbed to a powdery state, chalk is used to treat cracks, closed spaces and objects that do not tolerate moisture. These include: various horizontal surfaces, books, magazines, equipment. After the bedbugs die, the powder is removed using a powerful vacuum cleaner.
Using crayons, draw solid lines literally everywhere where bedbugs live and their possible escape routes. Approaches to beds, sofas, wardrobes and these pieces of furniture themselves must be well treated, as well as places from where bedbugs can enter the apartment. Particular attention should be paid to wooden surfaces. Bed bugs love them very much.
Instructions for using the gel “Proshka Domovoy”
After the preparatory activities have been completed, you can begin processing the premises.
- Squeeze out the gel and apply it in small portions in the form of a dotted line on the surface next to the baseboards and in places where there is the greatest concentration of mustachioed parasites. The distance between the dotted lines should vary from 5 to 10 centimeters.
- Apply the product under the sink, next to the trash can and toilet, under the bathtub. It is also necessary to process the openings of the ventilation ducts.
- It is recommended to treat both horizontal and vertical surfaces: door frames, walls and kitchen panels.
- If the insect population is too large, then the gel is applied in a continuous line.
- You can apply the product to small pieces of cardboard and place them under the refrigerator, stove and table.
- As soon as the effectiveness of the gel decreases, you need to wash the apartment using warm water. The cartons with the used gel should be thrown away and another portion of the drug should be applied.
The effect of the Proshka Domovoy gel begins a couple of days after treatment. During this period of time, cockroaches manage to return to their places of deployment and infect their relatives. As a result, this leads to the death of the entire population of Prussians.
If necessary, the apartment can be re-treated. But it is recommended to do this only after one month after the initial disinfestation. This is due to the fact that the gel has an intestinal contact effect and remains effective for about 3 months.
In order to exterminate the entire population of cockroaches as quickly as possible, you need to find and destroy their nest. Favorite places for insects to accumulate are cabinets, the stove, and places behind and under it. If colonies of Prussians are found, they can be poured with boiling water or vacuumed, and then the filters can be destroyed.
Preparatory stage of processing
Before treating your apartment with chalk against bedbugs, you need to perform several mandatory measures:
- do wet cleaning, thoroughly vacuuming all rooms to get rid of bedbug eggs as much as possible;
- free walls and baseboards from furniture and equipment;
- empty the house of all its inhabitants for a few days;
- isolate food and utensils;
- wash clothes, bedding, all household textiles in hot water and take them outside to air;
- treat mattresses with hot steam.
Procedure
Wear gloves when drawing barrier stripes with chalk. If you decide to work with a spray bottle or dry powder made from chalk, you should also wear a respirator.
The following are subject to insecticide treatment:
- the entire perimeter of the rooms along the baseboard;
- space on the floors under furniture and carpets;
- furniture on all sides and inside;
- shelves with books;
- places where the wallpaper is coming off the walls;
- objects located on the walls, from the front and back sides;
- cracks and secluded places in the house;
- windows, window sills, radiators, door jambs;
- ventilation vents.
After such a thorough treatment of the bedbug-infested apartment, you need to leave it for a day. When you return, you should wash objects and surfaces with which you constantly come into contact with soap and water. Everything that does not need to be touched should remain as is – treated with chalk for another 10 days. The residual effect of the chalk chemicals on insects will still remain. After 4-6 weeks, general cleaning with a soap and soda solution will be required.
After the specified period, the bedbug eggs present at the time of the first chalk treatment will hatch into larvae. All of the above will need to be re-coated with insecticide. In a few days, the bedbug population will completely die.
Feedback from consumers who have used Mashenka chalk
“After moving to another apartment, an incomprehensible rash appeared on my body. I shared the problem with my parents, they advised me to carefully inspect the bed. I lifted the mattress and found a family of brown bedbugs. A nearby store offered Mashenka chalk. There was no choice, so I bought it. I painted stripes on the bed, around it, on the furniture and walls. She went to her parents for three days. After returning, I noticed corpses of insects near the bed. A week later they were completely gone. I keep Mashenka’s packaging just in case.” Hope
“I accidentally noticed an insect crawling out of the ventilation system and crawling along the wall. Having examined it carefully, I recognized with horror that it was a bug. I read on the Internet about Mashenka’s chalk, which can be used to scare away such guests. I bought two, although one was enough to outline all possible entrances to the apartment with bold lines. There are no insects." Sergey
“I still don’t know how bedbugs got into the apartment. But I noticed bite marks on the child’s legs. It was not possible to move out of the apartment while the insects were being exterminated. We decided to use Mashenka’s chalk. My parents also used it for cockroaches. We drew lines everywhere - along the baseboards, on the back wall of the furniture, in the clothes drawers. The sofa was completely dismantled and all areas were treated. After a few days, the bedbugs began to die en masse. After two weeks we haven’t seen a single one of them.” Elena
Pencil Mashenka is not one of the most effective and fast-acting remedies for bedbugs. Its advantages are its convenient form and the ability to be used for prevention.
Features of the drug
The specificity of chalk is that it does not instantly kill bedbugs. After its use in the apartment, it is in the path of movement of insects. When the bloodsucker comes into contact with the substance of the chalk, it begins to eat into its integument, gradually poisoning the individual. The essence of the action of the chalk is the viral spread of the chemical among the bedbugs in contact with each other.
One chalk is enough to process 20-30 square meters of space. Lines should be drawn up to 4 cm wide.
Do crayons help against bedbugs? Judge for yourself - in the first week after treating a house with an insecticide, most of the bloodsuckers die. Then, thanks to a chain reaction of infecting each other, the remaining population of insects, along with their larvae, die in about 2 weeks.
Minuses
Judging by the reviews, “silver chalk” copes well with any pests that encroach on your home. However, it is not suitable for everyone and not in all cases:
- The product has virtually no effect on egg laying. There is a chance that the poisoned individual will return to the nest, and as a result the young individuals will die, but it is not too great. But the eggs themselves do not move.
- The chalk is very resistant to temperature, moisture and weathering. It does not lose its properties for a long time and therefore is not suitable for rooms where children live.
- A pencil will not work immediately and quickly, especially if you limit yourself to only applying chalk strokes. Of course, this will stop the reproduction of the individual and the spread of the insect population, but more effort will be required to completely exterminate them.
Considering these features, you can yourself assess the extent of damage to your home by insects and choose methods of control. If there is not enough time, then call a specialized team to carry out the sanitary procedure. processing. The same advice can be given if there is a large colony of insects in the house. Destroying them with chalk will take a very long time.
Assortment presented in stores
The insecticide “Mashenka” has been isolated from inexpensive and effective crayons against bedbugs. This chalk is the least toxic to people and animals. By treating surfaces in your home with it, you and your family won’t have to leave your home for a long time. Chalk has no odor and has a poisonous effect on bedbugs for a long time.
Chalk against bedbugs "Clean House" is not toxic to warm-blooded animals. They need to paint wide stripes with a thick layer. Enough for 20 square meters of room. The chalk is odorless. Retains its toxic effect on insects for 5 weeks.
Titanic insecticide is the longest-lasting chalk in existence. This is an economical product that retains its properties for several months. Such features of chalk are due to its composition. Fipronil and cypermethrin are the main components of the chalk. They do not harm human health or pets and have no odor.
Chalk against bedbugs "Brownie" is effective for 2.5-3 weeks. Its advanced formula allows it to be resistant to ultraviolet rays. It is not advisable for children to be present in the apartment while processing chalk.
“Tornado” - chalk against bedbugs has poisonous properties for 2 months. This insecticide can treat up to 40 square meters of housing. Chalk is a powerful nerve agent for bed bugs.
Does Mashenka chalk help against ants?
Chalk "Mashenka" can save you from ants. If insects have attacked your apartment, draw stripes along the entire perimeter of the room, like against cockroaches. Look where the ants' paths go: these insects usually do not run chaotically, but move along the same route. Draw stripes on their paths so that insects are sure to step on the poison. You can drop sugar syrup, honey, or some other treat attractive to parasites onto the strips.
Cockroaches and fleas may jump or fly over the drawn lines. Ants do not have such abilities, and a line 2 cm wide will become an insurmountable obstacle for them. They will bring pieces of the “delicacy” to the nest, feed all the inhabitants, and treat the female laying eggs. After some time, the entire family will be destroyed.
In the garden, you can sprinkle powder on the ground around the anthill. If there are aphids on the plants, make a water solution and spray the affected bushes with a spray bottle. This way you can deal with 2 types of pests at once. The same liquid composition can be poured directly into the anthill. Remove the top layer of soil and pour the powder or pour the liquid preparation into the place where insects accumulate. The principle of action of the drug in any form is absolutely the same.
So, the Mashenka chalk can be used not only for drawing lines in an apartment infested with harmful insects. This universal remedy has also found use in powdered and dissolved form. As soon as you notice that single scouts have looked into the house, take a white block and draw a protective outline to prevent the parasites from having any chance. The crushed preparation can be poured into cracks and hard-to-reach places, and the solution can be poured over indoor plants and loose wallpaper. The sooner you get down to business, the easier it will be to deal with unwanted visitors.
How to choose correctly?
Before you buy bed bug chalk, read what is written on the package. They must have a contact action. This is what is written on it. If it states that the insecticide has “intestinal” properties, then do not count on the desired effect from the drug. Bedbugs do not eat the contents of the chalk - they feed exclusively on blood.
The market today is overflowing with a wide range of crayons made in Russia and abroad. Before buying any chalk, be sure to read everything that is written on its packaging: who the manufacturer is, whether there is a certificate for the sale of chemicals, expiration date, precautions, composition. It is not recommended to buy crayons with a label in a foreign language. They are presented as analogues of domestic manufacturers.
Release form
Many years ago, Chinese insect chalk entered the Russian market. It was wrapped in blue with hieroglyphs. This idea was picked up by domestic manufacturers. They didn’t change the recognizable brand much, and we still buy Mashenka chalk wrapped in blue packaging. It is produced in the form of a gray bar, weighing 20 g. The packaging is equipped with a layer of polyethylene, which protects from moisture and sunlight.
